Peru
From Lima to Chiclayo, from the Andes to the Amazon: the Pope returns to the country where he lived as a missionary and bishop. Six days of meetings, prayer, and attention to human and geographical peripheries.
It is not only an apostolic visit, but also a return to the places that have deeply marked his personal history and ministry.
On November 11, Pope Leo XIV arrived in Peru, the third and final leg of his trip to Latin America, after Uruguay and Argentina. Welcoming him at Callao Air Base were President Keiko Fujimori, officials, and a crowd of the faithful. Two children presented him with a bouquet of flowers, while the Sinfonía por el Perú choir, composed of 27 young people, accompanied his arrival.
For Robert Francis Prevost, Peru is not a destination like any other. Here he spent many years as an Augustinian missionary and led the Diocese of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. A pastoral experience that left a mark on his life and that he now finds again through the embrace of a Church that knows him and considers him one of its own.
The first day in Lima was dedicated to the institutional welcome and to meeting with the authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps.
On November 12, the Pope met with the Peruvian bishops, celebrated mid-morning prayer in the cathedral, and took part in an event dedicated to the challenges and hopes of the Peruvian people. In the evening, the national stadium hosted a vigil with young people and university students: an opportunity to speak to the new generations, listen to their concerns, and encourage them to become protagonists of the country’s future.
On November 13, the journey reached Chiclayo, a city particularly dear to the Pope. In the Pampas de Pimentel Leo XIV presided over a Eucharistic celebration, the central moment of his return to the diocese where he served as pastor.
Also on the schedule is a visit to the St. Óscar Romero Chapel and meetings with the ecclesial community, pastoral leaders, and the academic world. It is here that the Pontiff reconnects with an important part of his own missionary experience, marked by closeness to families, listening, and sharing in daily life.
The journey will continue on November 14 between Santa Cruz de Succhabamba and Zaña, with the Eucharistic celebration and a prayer gathering for the conclusion of the jubilee year dedicated to Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo.
The following day, the Pope will travel to Cusco, where he will meet with the faithful and representatives of popular devotion at the Saqsaywaman archaeological site, before the Angelus prayer. From there, he will fly to Pucallpa, in the Amazonian heart of the country, to meet with missionaries and representatives of the Amazonian peoples and celebrate Mass.
The final day, November 16, includes a visit in Lima to a care home run by the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly and the Eucharistic celebration at the Las Palmas air base, before departure for Rome.
An itinerary that traverses cities, rural communities, Andean territories, and the Amazon rainforest.
Leo XIV’s return to Peru thus becomes an opportunity to reconnect with faces and stories, but also to remind the Church of its responsibility: to accompany the most vulnerable, listen to communities, and build hope, without leaving anyone behind.
